2, 35, and Thanksgiving!!

Miss Cool above turned 2 years old on November 26, and her daddy turned 35!! The other day Marcus looked at me and said, "I love having a daughter who is left handed (side note: so is he) and who was born on MY birthday." Their birthday fell on Thanksgiving day this year, so they got to have a very LARGE party with turkey and dressing. My entire family, all four brothers and their spouses, was home this year which hasn't happened in years. We also were able to celebrate with my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I think we had 25 people for dinner, and it was great fun!

We are so thankful....

Halloween 2009

Jacob's First Week Home

The Story of Your Birth

My precious son,

I am so thankful you are here. I have been looking forward to the day when I could hold you in my arms, and now that day is here. I am blessed.

I wish that I would remember every detail of the day you were born forever and ever. Monday, October 19, 2009. It started out much like many days had in the previous month. I woke up having a few contractions. When those contractions first started happening almost 5 weeks earlier, I was on high alert that you could arrive at any time, but after you continued to stay put (and we are so thankful that you did so you could arrive big and strong!), I grew accustomed to waiting and seeing.

Around 9 am, my contractions started getting stronger. I decided to take a shower and get ready, but I had to stop every few minutes and take some deep breaths. By 10:30 the contractions were coming every 3 to 4 minutes, and “Ouch” (as your big sister would say), they were hurting. I decided to drive into Nashville (about 25 minutes away) so I could be closer to the hospital. It was almost your big sister Grace’s naptime, and I didn’t want to have to have the babysitter wake her up later to drive me to the hospital. I still wasn’t convinced you were coming as this had happened many times before and then stopped.

I will never forget the drive you and I took into the city. It is hard driving on the interstate while having contractions! I listened to Alli Roger’s “Silent Night” CD and tried very hard to concentrate on driving. Right as I had to merge into one of the busiest intersections in the downtown area, you made your presence known, and I had a huge contraction. Thankfully, we made it safely! My plan was to find a bookstore and look around a little bit while waiting to see if labor continued. I called your daddy to let him know I was right around the corner from where he worked. He was almost done seeing patients for the morning, so I decided to meet him in the lobby of his clinic, so we could have lunch.

One of the things that stands out in my mind from that morning is how beautiful of a day it was. I had to turn around to head towards your daddy’s clinic, and I ended up on the Vanderbilt campus. The leaves had started to turn beautiful shades of yellow, red, and orange. The sun was shining. They sky was blue, and the air cool. I saw students walking hurriedly to class. I was still having those yucky contractions, but an incredible sense of peace washed over me.

By the time your daddy met me in the lobby of his clinic, I was doing some serious pacing and breathing hard. I didn’t even care that people were giving me strange looks. We soon nixed the plan of going out to eat, and instead decided to walk the block and a half to the women’s hospital and grab a bite to eat there.

I have to stop here and remember something a little random. I was wearing my “Baby Bump” t-shirt that day. The funny thing is that we had been to the hospital 2 times previously (once when I was admitted at 32 weeks and then again a few days later) and both times I had been wearing the same shirt. The people at the women’s hospital probably thought that I wore that blessed t-shirt every single day!

In the cafeteria at the hospital, your daddy chowed down on his lunch. I actually had a few bites of his lunch and a few bites of chicken salad. I knew it was a “no no” to eat if you were in labor, but again, I figured this may not be the big day, so I went for it. A few hours later when the anesthesiologist came to interview me for my epidural, I conveniently “forgot” that I had had those few bites. I did not want anything to interfere with me getting my favorite friend the epidural. When they asked me the last time I had eaten, I gave your daddy a glare that said, “if you rat me out, I will strangle you during my next contraction”.

After lunch, we decided to walk around outside. We made about 2 trips around the outside of the hospital, stopping about every 2 minutes for a contraction when I would bend over and breathe hard. Your daddy and I commented that the hospital staff who were outside for lunch probably thought we were thinking about having our baby outside. Finally, we decided to head up to the OB ER to get checked out.

Proudly wearing my “Baby Bump” t-shirt again, I got checked in and hooked up to the monitors. I was praying I was dilated and that all these contractions were not in vain. When the nurse checked me she said I was 3 cm with bulging membranes and that it looked like the real deal to her. She called my doctor who mercifully called me and said those magic words, “Sounds like you're pretty uncomfortable. Let’s get you admitted and get your epidural”. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus! After weeks of having contractions, the blessed epidural was headed my way.

I called my parents to let them know that it looked like this was actually it. After weeks of complaining to your daddy, my parents, friends, and other family about having contractions, I’m sure they were all thinking, “yeah, yeah whatever”, but this really was “it”, and you were on your way.

Your daddy canceled his afternoon clinic to stay with me. We were transferred up to labor and delivery, and in about an hour and a half, status post epidural, I was a much happier camper. I dilated fairly quickly, and the old hospitalist who came in to break my water said, “Hon, this baby is in a race with the sun to be here before it goes down.”

He was right! Before too long, I was dilated to 10cm. My doctor came in and started filling out paperwork, but after one push with the nurse you were on the way, so she gathered the troops to get things ready. We had started the CD player with a music mix I had made especially for your birth, but to be honest, I never even really heard the music. In 3 to 4 pushes you quickly entered the world at 6:47 pm.

You were pink and plump and looked great (apgars of 9 and 9). You weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces and were 19.5 inches long. The doctor layed you on my chest, and I got to hold you for the first time. It was wonderful. Your daddy and I were so happy that you had made it to us safely. Your grandparents made it to labor and delivery around 9 pm and were so excited to meet you.

Since our regular babysitter was sick, an answer to prayer was our friend's babysitter who met Grace for the first time and stayed with her for 16 hours!

We are so blessed to have you, our precious Jacob. We thank God for giving us such a great gift. We love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

Welcome Little One!

Please Pray

Some of you may know that I have been in the hospital this week for preterm labor. Just wanted to give everyone an update and ask for your prayers. This past Monday, I was admitted to the hospital for preterm labor. They were able to stop the contractions and give me two doses of steroids, which help mature the baby’s lungs. Unfortunately, the steroids have made my blood sugars very elevated (already had gestational diabetes with this pregnancy), so I have had to start insulin.

Yesterday, the doctors and I decided to try to wait this out at home, so I could get more rest. We were home for about 5 hours when we had to head back to the hospital for contractions every 4 minutes. Again, they were able to prevent my labor from progressing, and I am back at home now taking all the medicines to try to keep me out of labor. Basically, there is not a lot they can do at this point at the hospital that we are not able to do at home.

As of now I am 33 weeks (about 2 months early). Realistically, the doctors think the baby (Jacob) will likely come in the next week or so, but every second he stays put gives him a better chance of being healthier. Likely he will require a stay in the NICU for several weeks after he comes.

We ask for your prayers:
That we know when to go to the hospital: my contractions have not stopped but I am currently not dilating (sorry for those of you who don’t like medical stuff). Normally, you go to the hospital when contractions are about 5 minutes apart, but I have been like that all week. The doctors basically want me there when I am ready to deliver. Stressful, because we don’t want to be at the hospital 5 times a day, but Jacob will need the NICU staff when he is born.


For Jacob’s health


That I will be able to get some rest while at home, which is difficult while having contractions


For peace for us after a stressful week and likely more to come


For support here. We have only been in Tennessee about a month and a half and don’t know too many people. I am especially stressed about having someone to watch Grace if we have to go to the hospital in the middle of the night. Thankfully, we have been able to find help watching her while Marcus is at work, which is great as I am now on strict bed rest.